I've just had my 'Purist Original' repaired and i was wondering if anyone would have any idea where i could get replacement labels for the bat? Greg Chappell Cricket Centre and Kingsgrove Sports don't stock them.

Here's a question about stickers, I've just been watching re-runs of the Ashes and Monty Panesars stand at the end of the game on the 5th day at Cardiff to force the draw and noticed that he uses a bat with no stickers. I know that Pieterson and others are sponsored by bat manufacturers and it's obvious that Monty wouldn't be a candidate for bat sponsorship but why do you reckon he doesn't use an aobviously branded bat or do you reckon he's like me, as I for one would never in a million years wouldn't give them any free advertising if I was on the tele - in fact I don't even now, I strip off all the stickers if I can. Which brings me to the questions anyone any other suggestions as to how to get the stickers off a bat easily?

I'd say even players like Monty would have at least try to get some sort of sponsorship when playing internationals. A few years back Australian bat maker Bradbury said before a Test that he could only afford sponsor MacGill (and also inferring that some other players were using his bats with different stickers).

Even if the player bats for a few overs you would still think it would be worth some value as an advertisement. McGrath at times batted with a sticker less bat between sponsors.

Cheers for the responses. Does anyone know what the sponsorship deals would consist of for the Sponsors? Is it just a case that they supply the bats for the games and if so how many bats or are they also paid a wage in some cases?

All the England team are paid to use a bat and are also supplied free kit. That's the same case for almost every side around the world, you might pick up a no name Zimbabwean on a free kit deal but that's it.

I have recently been looking for young county and district players looking for sponsorship. In this case, the manufacturer concerned is offering a considerable number of deals comprising 50% off all kit and equipment... good advertising for them but this is at the lower end of the sponsorship industry.

The deals vary depending on the manufacturer and the level of player but there are great options out there for all.

I have recently been looking for young county and district players looking for sponsorship. In this case, the manufacturer concerned is offering a considerable number of deals comprising 50% off all kit and equipment... good advertising for them but this is at the lower end of the sponsorship industry.

The deals vary depending on the manufacturer and the level of player but there are great options out there for all.

Click to expand...

Junior players always were able to claim reasonable deals, especially if they asked around a bit.

I have recently been looking for young county and district players looking for sponsorship. In this case, the manufacturer concerned is offering a considerable number of deals comprising 50% off all kit and equipment... good advertising for them but this is at the lower end of the sponsorship industry.

The deals vary depending on the manufacturer and the level of player but there are great options out there for all.

Click to expand...

Surely kids are falling over themselves for this stuff, I'd have thought you'd have had queues of kids trying to claim this deal? It's not a small bat manufacturer in Essex by any chance is it - based at Hanningfield?

It is true that I find myself tripping over representative players in the yonger age groups whenever I step outside but I mainly work with the older 'young' players; 16 to early 20 year olds. Representation at this age group is minimal and sponsorship competition quite high.

This brings up another, off topic, issue which I am really concerned with. There is little investment at this age within cricket, which is maddening. Cricket is not an early specialising sport but all the time and effort goes in to the younger age groups who will, of course, do well within the representative framework. However, many of these who 'peak by Friday' often fall out of the bottom of the system by the time GCSEs enter the schedules. This system does not allow for late developers, if you have not made it into the County Academy system by about 15, you have more or less had it without a scouting system...

...so as you can imagine, the queues are not as long as one would think .

This is a grey area for me that I've no knowledge of whatsoever. I know there's a couple of blokes at my club who say that they represented Essex in some capacity but then didn't make the grade and they talk about this period in terms of the age you're talking about.

Similarly a bloke joined me on a field a few weeks back at the end of September and he had another woeful 'Nearly made it at Essex' story and he sounded like he'd almost or had made the first team and seemed gutted that he'd missed out and he was exceptionally good at both batting and bowling - you could just see he was very good at both. So the question is how do these people get seen and spotted, where does Essex for instance get it's players and what do they then do if they've got day jobs and are asked if they want to play for a county?

What would happen in a situation where a club had a really good player that was that GCSE type age? Do they get advised to attend A- levels/BTEC's where there's a sports department/cricket team and then do a degree at loughborough where there is proper cricket facilities? What's the progression route? Do clubs have apprenticeships - can youths survive just oustide the Essex first team and commiting to Essex in that way does it potentially stall the rest of your life for a few years if it doesn't pay off? What's the score?

Young players are put forward to District trials by either their school or club. Of course, this then relies on the school or club knowing what they are doing. Many state schools only pay lip service to cricket these days.

I was fortunate to work within a great Academy, though rather large. We took players from U7 [not playing in leagues] but two squads per year from U10s to U15s, however, last year there were three squads at the U12 age group. Although not overtly discriminating one was 'A' or '1st', the other a kind of developement squad. The U13 girls, U15 girls and U16s had one squad each and the U17s had a quarter of a squad! All the squads were playing in their own league/cups.

Once successful and playing for the District, the District coaches would put them forward to County trials. Girls going straight to County trials as there is no district framework for them in Essex. [There is also the opportunity to play Regionally].

If Essex considered a player worthy, they would be included in the Essex Academy with great resources and all the best coaches in all the qualities; technical, tactical, physiological and psychological. This will all work around their studies.

All the above is fantastic on paper. However, if we identified a player at [say] U11, they would be exposed to all the best coaches and resources so they will be, and should be, better than the other players in their age group. How much of this is talent or concentrated coaching is not known until they reach [say] 14 or 15 and suddenly, due to many factors, including growth rate, it becomes evident that they are not going to improve any further and drop out of the system.

A problem occurs when U16s and above are identified as having great potential although late developers. There is no district framework at this age so I have no alternative but to nominate them for County trial. At this stage, they will be trialling against players who may have been in the district framework for years. Due to this handicap a lot is missed; players who could go on to be exceptional and the squad not having them in the future.

At junior level the local cricket boards will encourage clubs to nominate players to attend trial sessions. In previous years these sessions have tended to be a few hours but a few counties will now run them over two days in order to give everyone a fair chance (allowing for an off day/ample time to bat or bowl etc).

Although they can be nominated at any age, it's a lot easier to get in at before the under 14 age. This is simply because by that age the players in the squads tend to have received a lot more coaching and have a better idea of what is expected. It's not unheard of to be picked up at 15/16 etc but the older you get, the rarer it gets.

Once they get to GCSE level it's normally fairly clear whether or not they have a chance of making it pro or not. Although the county won't have that much of a say in what/where they go to college or uni, a lot will take the natural step of studying something sport related. Also, most universities play in the BUCS leagues and a select few will have teams that play at the UCCE level (university centres of cricketing excellence) - the teams that play the early season games against full counties (for example UWIC and Cardiff Uni combine to make up the Cardiff UCCE but both sides in the standard uni league.

If players are not already with a county then the UCCE is a good way to get scouted but like most sports few go on to a full time pro career.

As Liz said above though, the really talented players will get an academy gig but may still attend a local or approved uni. They will then play a mix of the UCCE/County age/county 2nds/minor counties depending on various things.

With regards to players who are working then you need an understanding employer I'd say. Then again I can't think of many players who have been called up to a first XI out of the blue - Tom Cotterill from Gloucestershire maybe? Most players will be on some kind of retainer contract and playing in the 2nd XI's. However, if it were to happen then generally you'd get a short term contract and that's about it. Of course, if you impress then the county would sign you up to a longer one (normally a year).

As I said though, you'd need a flexible employer or else you have to take a risk.

Many companies will give a 40-50% discount as it brings it down to trade price. So Jimmy the Jnr will buy the full range of kit from you providing a bit of advertising.

But these days almost any Jnr can pick up a 'sponsorship' deal from one of the smaller companies, average club players can get 30-40% of a kit bundle bought, often sold to them as sponsorship.

Internationals and county players are giving a monetary account (Paying RRP) they can spend with the company. An average county player will get roughly £1500 worth of free kit a season. Top county players will get a bigger allowance and a small contract with a large scope for bonuses.